Powershell script to run multiple batch files in order

Question

Real n00b to powershell. I was wondering if the community could help me build a pretty simple script.

Really, I can achieve everything I need in windows batch files - but these only complete one task at a time. I want a master script (a powershell script) to call each individual batch process in turn. That is, I want to run Batch_1 and then run Batch_2 only when a task from a program that Batch_1 calls has finished.

Is this possible? Is it a case of using some form of IF THEN ELSE type scenario or is there a way to make powershell wait for some event to happen?

Thanks!

GPC

Answer 1

You can use the FOR command, from regular windows shell (cmd.exe) to solve this problem. The following command executes every cmd file in current directory:

FOR %f IN (*.cmd) DO %f

The following command executes every file, in order, as returned by inner ´DIR´ command:

FOR /F %f IN ('DIR /b /oen *.cmd *.bat') DO %f

Answer 2

Normally calling out from a batch file to a console program is synchronous. A PowerShell script for this is trivial:

master-script.ps1 contents:
---------------------------
c:\batch1.bat
c:\batch2.bat

Now if the batch file is calling a Windows subsystem exe (non a console EXE) then this gets trickier because those execute async. If that's the case, update your question to indicate that.